Apple has removed two popular Meta apps from its App Store in China. According to a report by Reuters. The apps have been removed after China ‘ordered’ Apple to do so. "The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns," Apple told Reuters in a statement.
Apple said that even when it disagrees, it is “obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate.”
It’s not clear why China asked for the removal of these two particular apps. Facebook, Instagram, Messenger are still available on the App Store in China. As per the report, other apps like YouTube and X are also available for download. Neither China nor Meta has made any comment on the matter, according to the report.
In the last four years, Apple has removed thousands of apps from its App Store in China. In 2020, Apple removed as many as 1.2 lakh games from the App Store. In 2023, Apple yanked off over 100 apps that are similar to ChatGPT as they included content which was deemed illegal in China.
China’s control over the internet is well-known and popular apps do not work in the country. For instance, Facebook has been blocked in China since 2009. However, Threads — launched in 2023 — remains available. Or at least was on the iPhone, till Apple removed it. WhatsApp has been blocked in the country for almost seven years now. With the removal of the apps from the App Store, iPhone users in China won’t be able to download them at all.
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